As Northwest Technical College in Bemidji continues to enroll students into its newly revamped curriculum, faculty and staff are preparing for a periodic evaluation known as accreditation.

The public is invited to participate in the comprehensive assessment by sharing comments about the quality of the college or its academic programs. Comments must be written, signed and submitted by Aug. 31.

A team of educators chosen by NTC’s regional accrediting agency, The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, is scheduled to visit the college on Sept. 28-29. They will consider such factors as overall academic quality, teaching effectiveness and measurement of student success.

Robert Griggs, NTC’s interim dean, said he looks forward to the HLC assessment because of the guidance it will provide for how to best serve students and employers.

“This process requires enormous preparation as we compile the needed documentation and complete a self-assessment,” Griggs said. “It’s also a valuable opportunity to learn how we can continue to improve.”

At the same time, NTC’s admissions and financial aid staff are helping new and returning students prepare for fall classes, which start Aug. 24.

Academic advisers are available on campus and by telephone and email to answer questions and help students plan a pathway that fits their goals and needs. The college also will hold open house events on July 21 and Aug. 11.

Fall 2015 will be the first semester for the college’s new Master Academic Plan, designed to offer students increasingly flexible ways to prepare them for good-paying jobs in high-demand fields.

The academic plan is a major milestone in NTC’s ongoing reinvention, a process initiated in 2013 by Dr. Richard Hanson, president of both NTC and Bemidji State University, to make sure the college continues to serve northern Minnesota.

One of its objectives is increased collaboration with Bemidji-area business and industry, school districts, government agencies, nonprofits and other colleges to benefit students success and develop a thriving regional economy.

While preserving such core academic areas of health care, business, building trades, automotive motorsports, manufacturing and young child education, NTC’s newly streamlined curriculum will allow students to earn sequential or “stackable” credentials as they progress from foundational learning to in-depth study.

Another change resulting from the reinvention process is increased academic partnership between NTC and Bemidji State University. BSU’s academic leaders are now working directly with NTC faculty on program selection, structure and requirements.

To submit a comment on NTC

Northwest Technical College will undergo a comprehensive evaluation visit Sept. 28-29, 2015, by a team representing The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

The public is invited to comment on substantive matters related to the quality of the college or its academic programs. All must be in writing, signed and submitted by Aug. 31.

Mail comments to:

Public Comment on Northwest Technical College
The Higher Learning Commission
230 S. LaSalle St., Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604-1411

Contact
• Scott Faust, director of communications and marketing; (218) 755-2986, sfaust@bemidjistate.edu
• Robert Griggs, NTC interim dean; (218) 333-6611, rgriggs@bemidjistate.edu

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Northwest Technical College, located in northern Minnesota’s lake district, is an open, inviting technological learning organization. For more than 40 years, the college has valued life-long learning and the worth and dignity of all people. The college serves around 1,000 students with a high-quality education, an open-enrollment policy and affordable tuition. NTC offers nearly 60 certificate, diploma and degree programs in areas such as business, health, human and protective services and environmental and industrial technology. Classes are offered on the Bemidji campus, online, or as a combination of both. NTC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.